GACL Pushes Inter-Regional Flights to Unlock Ghana’s Economic Potential | By Dominick Andoh
Ghana wants to move beyond an Accra-centred domestic aviation network, with the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) seeking to establish direct air links between regional capitals to stimulate trade, tourism and business across the country.
Managing Director of GACL, Yvonne Nana Afriyie Opare, says the company is exploring opportunities to strengthen air connectivity across regional routes, allowing passengers to travel between major cities without having to transit through Accra.
She outlined the ambition at the company’s 20th Anniversary Lecture and Awards in Accra on Monday, November 9, 2026.
“Imagine a more connected domestic aviation network, where passengers can travel from Kumasi to Tamale, from Tamale to Wa, or from Sunyani to Kumasi or any other destination without necessarily having to route every single trip through Accra. This is where we want to get to,” she said.
The proposed network represents a potential shift in Ghana’s domestic aviation model, which has historically relied heavily on Accra as the principal departure and arrival point for scheduled domestic services.
Under the envisaged arrangement, regional airports would become more directly connected, giving passengers greater flexibility and reducing the time and inconvenience associated with travelling through the capital.
The commercial implications could extend well beyond passenger convenience.
Direct flights between regional economic centres could facilitate business travel, improve access to markets, support the movement of professionals and encourage stronger commercial relationships between businesses operating in different parts of the country.
Tourism could also benefit. Improved connections between regional destinations would make it easier for domestic and international visitors to combine attractions across different parts of Ghana within a single trip.
For example, stronger links between Kumasi, Tamale, Wa and Sunyani could support more integrated tourism itineraries, connecting cultural, historical and natural attractions while creating opportunities for hotels, tour operators, transport companies and other hospitality businesses.
GACL has previously identified the expansion of domestic and intra-regional routes as essential to Ghana’s ambition of becoming a leading aviation hub.
At the 5th AviationGhana Breakfast Meeting in February 2026, Mrs Opare specifically called for routes such as Kumasi-Tamale and Tamale-Ho to complement existing international connections.
Ghana’s domestic aviation market is currently served principally by Africa World Airlines (AWA) and PassionAir, which operate services linking Accra with destinations including Kumasi, Tamale, Takoradi, Wa and Sunyani.
However, the development of a viable inter-regional network will require airlines to identify sufficient passenger demand, establish commercially sustainable schedules and deploy aircraft
GACL’s planned developments at Wa, Bolgatanga and Sunyani are expected to strengthen the physical capacity of regional airports and create opportunities for additional domestic services.
The broader objective is to transform regional airports from largely individual destinations served through Accra into interconnected nodes within a national aviation network.
For the tourism industry, the availability of direct regional flights could reduce travel time, improve access to customers and destinations, and create new opportunities for economic activity outside the capital.
GACL Pushes Inter-Regional Flights to Unlock Ghana’s Economic Potential | Email: AviationGhana.info@Gmail.com
